Ultralow-cost carriers with thin-cushion seats and a long menu of passenger fees reap hefty profits, and that is why fliers can expect a major expansion in such low-fare carriers in the next few years.

Denver-based Frontier Airlines, the latest carrier to convert to an ultralow-cost airline, announced last week it had ordered 12 new Airbus aircraft, including 10 jets that can hold as many as 230 passengers each.

Spirit Airlines, based in Miramar, Fla., has plans to expand its fleet this year to 144 planes from 80 by the end of 2021.

The expansion efforts are fueled by a drive for big profits. Ultralow-cost airlines enjoy among the biggest profit margins in the industry.

Spirit posted net profit of $225 million in 2014, up 27 percent from the previous year. Frontier, a privately owned company, had net income of $129 million last year, compared with $11 million in the previous year, according to federal data.

But not everyone likes low-cost airlines.

Frontier and Spirit have the country’s highest passenger complaint rates, with 15.84 complaints per 100,000 passengers for Frontier and 10.27 complaints per 100,000 passengers for Spirit, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

7-ELEVEN  opens outlet at airport

Los Angeles International Airport will become the first airport in the nation this month to add a

7-Eleven convenience store.

The store will open Wednesday in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, offering many of the same snacks and drinks offered at neighborhood stores. That includes the giant 32-ounce Big Gulp. (Don’t try to get that through the security checkpoint.)

One major difference is that most neighborhood

7-Eleven stores are open 24 hours a day. The one at Los Angeles International will be open only 6 a.m. to midnight.

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Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times